2003-04 Women's Basketball
Season Outlook

The 2003-04 Warriors enter the season coming off back-to-back 23-game winning seasons and the team’s eighth consecutive trip to the NAIA National Tournament. Last year marked the 12^th consecutive season that the team has won at least 20 games and the 23 wins rank fourth highest in team history. In 2002-03, the Warriors finished 10^th in the nation in scoring, averaging 75 points per game, and led the Frontier Conference in total rebounds (1,388), three-point field goal percentage (.362), three-point field goals made (261), free throw attempts (772), and field goal attempts (2,142).

“I feel we have a team that has the potential to reach another level this year,” said Head Coach Brian Orr. “From top to bottom it’s going to be a competitive team to play on and play with. We’ve got winners in our program and we’re really optimistic about the upcoming season.”

The Warriors return five players that contributed quality minutes in 2002-03, including three seniors to the backcourt. After leading the Warriors in several offensive categories last year, guard Jessica Foot returns for her senior season after becoming only the seventh player in the program’s history to score 1,000 career points. Joining Foot as seniors in 2003-04 are guards Alicia Hazlett and Elpidia Valle.

“When you talk about success for a team it really starts with leadership,” said Orr. “With our three seniors I feel very confident we’re going to get just that.”

Junior Kendra West and sophomore Cami Kalbfleisch return this season both having played a major part in last year’s campaign. Providing depth to the returning cast will be redshirt sophomore Leah McCauley,

“One of the strengths of this team is going to be our depth in the post,” noted Orr. “We have an outstanding cast of perimeter players and for the first time since I’ve been here we have enough size up-front to make our practices much more competitive.”

Providing increased leadership and game experience to the 2003-04 roster will be junior transfers Elise de Groot, Angelica Olivas, and LaNeice Morgan, while guards BreAnna Mulvey, Terri Wittmer, and post Ashley Baker join the squad a freshman.

“We have an incoming class that is very talented,” Orr said. “All will compete for starting spots.”

Guards

 With the graduation of Shanta Coleman, the Warriors will be looking toward both returnees and newcomers to step-up in the backcourt this season. Six guards will be vying for playing time and starting positions when the Warriors open up practice this year. Seniors Jessica Foot (Brisbane, Australia) and Alicia Hazlett (Superior, Mont.) come into the season with the most experience at the guard position, having started 31 and 33 games respectively last year. Foot, a First Team All-Frontier Conference selection, led the Warriors in scoring with 13.1 points per game, assists with 101, and steals with 64. The 5-7 guard also led Frontier Conference in three-pointers with 66 and made a team-leading 106 free throws. Foot scored a career-high 24 points vs. Rocky Mountain College (1/18/03) and currently ranks third in school history with 198 three pointers. Her 5 for 5 three-point shooting performance vs. the University of Great Falls (3/1/03) is a school record.

“We have high expectations for Jessica this year,” Orr said. “She led our team in scoring the past two seasons and she has great court presence.”

Hazlett returns this season as one of only two players (sophomore Kendra West the other) to have started every game last season. She led the Frontier Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio and was named an Academic All-Conference selection and Academic All-American. The senior guard was tenacious on defense, averaging 3.6 rebounds a game while adding 41 steals for the season. She averaged 7.5 points a contest, shooting 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. Hazlett scored a career-best 24 points vs. Westminster College (1/25/03).

“Alicia is a highly skilled and very intelligent player,” Orr noted. “She adds a dimension to our team, of not only experience, but because she plays so smart. We can do things with her defensively that you can not ask all players to do.”

Also returning to the Warriors backcourt is senior Elpidia Valle (Napa, Idaho). Starting three games for the Warriors last season, Valle had an immediate impact, averaging 4.3 points a game and ranking second on the team in steals with 49. Valle was also selected by her teammates as a team captain for the 2003-04 season. The senior guard recorded career high’s in points with 15 vs. Westminster College (3/7/03) and assists with nine vs. Evergreen State College (11/22/02).

“Elpidia finished the season as strong as anybody on the team,” Orr said. “In our first-round playoff game against Westminster last season we started her at the point and she did a tremendous job. She is strong and has great leadership skills. She returned this summer in great physical condition and that has added another dimension to her game.”

Providing leadership and speed to the Warrior backcourt this season will be freshmen BreAnna Mulvey (Spokane, Wash.), and Terri Wittmer (West Yellowstone, Mont.).

Mulvey, a 5-8 point guard out of Mead High School, brings experience and quickness on the perimeter having run point for the Panthers last season. As a senior, Mulvey averaged 17 points, 10 assists, and, five steals a game last season.  A 2002-03 All-State selection and a McDonald’s All-American nominee, Mulvey shot an impressive 90 percent from the free-throw line as a senior.

“BreAnna is a highly skilled basketball player,” Orr said. “She has great quickness and a love of the game.  She is the type of player we want to build our program around.”

Wittmer, a 5-5 guard from West Yellowstone High School, was a multi-sport athlete in high school and should bring quickness and athleticism to the Warriors lineup. Wittmer, a two-time All-State selection, averaged 18 points, 5.6 steals, and five rebounds a game last year as a senior.

“Terri is a great athlete and a quality person from top to bottom,” Orr said. “She is quick, strong, and a very good defender.”

Forwards/Post

The Warriors frontcourt will look a little different this season after the graduation of All-Conference Team selection Kyla Harris and the departure of Amy Flaig. Returning to the front court will be junior Kendra West (Jerome, Idaho) and sophomore Cami Kalbfleisch (Lewiston, Idaho).

West enters this season having had an outstanding sophomore campaign, leading the Warriors with 20 blocked shots and shooting 49.1 percent from the field. The junior scored a career-best 24 points vs. Montana Western (1/11/03). West, an impact player on the glass, averaged six rebounds per contest and lead the team in offensive rebounds with 74. She tied a career high four times with 11 rebounds in a game.

“We are looking for great things from Kendra this year,” Orr said. “She has a finesse about her game, but can also finish strong.”

Kalbfleisch is coming off an outstanding freshman season where she scored 6.9 points a game and averaged 15.5 minutes a contest off the bench. She scored a career-high 23 points vs. Evergreen State College (11/22/02). The 6-0 guard/forward dished out 23 assists and grabbed 20 steals last year. The versatile sophomore was also lethal from three-point range shooting 42.7 percent from behind the arc.

“Cami is a great three-point shooter,” said Orr. “She can run the floor and has great hands. She’s a player that can play inside and out. She had a terrific freshman year and will challenge for a starting spot this season.”

The Warriors will receive increased depth up front this season with the reemergence of redshirt sophomore Leah McCauley (Grangeville, Idaho) and the additions of LaNeice Morgan (Hayward, Calif.) and Elise de Groot (San Luis Obispo, Calif.).  The 6-2 McCauley, who sat out all of last season, played in 28 games during 2001-02, averaging 2.0 points per game.

“Leah is one of our best athletes,” Orr said. “Having her athleticism on the floor every single day is going to make us a better team.”

Both de Groot and Morgan come to Lewiston having played their junior college and high school ball in California. Morgan spent her junior college career at Contra Costa College where see holds the all-time record for field goal percentage in a season. A multi-sport athlete in high school, the 6-0 post holds the school record in the high jump at 5-feet-2-inches.

As a freshman, de Groot started every game for Cuesta College and the team posted a 22-11 record, appearing in the state finals. The 6-3 forward/post was name All-Conference, averaging 11.5 points and 10.4 rebounds a game in 2001-02. In 2002-03 de Groot had an excellent start to her sophomore season, averaging 11.3 points, and 10 rebounds in her first 10 games before injury sidelined her for the remainder of the season.

The frontcourt will be rounded out by freshman Ashley Baker (Okanogan, Wash.). The 6-3 post comes to the Warriors after an excellent career at Omak high school and should provide size up front for the Warriors this season. As a senior, Baker was named team MVP as well as MVP of the league, averaging 17.4 points and 15.4 rebounds a game. The 6-3 post ranks as the second all-time leading scorer in Omak High School history and holds the record for most offensive and defensive rebounds per game.

“With Ashley Baker we are getting some needed size,” noted Orr. “A 6-3 post player can be a real commodity in this league, but Ashley’s skills are what will set her a part.  She’s a player that is going to get better and better with every game and every season.”

Schedule Highlights

In 2002-03 the Frontier Conference changed the conference’s tournament format so that the top four seeds hosted first-round games. This format will be used again this season and the Warriors are looking forward to hosting another first-round game.

“The new format adds excitement to the schedule,” Orr said. “It adds some real importance to the regular season.”

The Warriors open up the 2003-04 season with a very tough non-conference schedule highlighted by road games with Idaho State (Nov. 8) and California State – Stanislaus (Nov. 22). The Warriors will again host the Howard Johnson Classic on Nov. 14-15 in Lewiston.

Other non-conference matchups include the season opener with Trinity Western (Oct. 31/Nov. 1) and a home date with Whitworth College on Nov. 25. The non-conference schedule concludes with home games against Fraser Valley College (Dec. 12/13), University of Lethbridge (Dec. 19/20), and Prairie College (Jan. 2/3).

The Warriors open up the Frontier Conference schedule at home against Montana Tech (Jan. 8) and Montana Western (Jan. 10). Other conference home games include Rocky Mountain College (Feb. 12), Carroll College (Feb. 14), and Westminster College (Feb. 21).

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